Longer trip to suit A Word Apart
Dermot Weld's once-raced son of Desert Style had Ballybrit stamped all over him following his debut at the Curragh last month.
He was slowly into stride, but was noted doing all his best work at the end when beaten two lengths into second behind Sydney Harbour.
Stepping up another furlong now should greatly favour the selection and the Curragh form was boosted when fifth placed Snow Watch surprised hot-pot, Gatamalata, at Leopardstown last week.
Aidan O'Brien has two potentially decent sorts in Robin Hood and Alexander Pope. Preference is for Robin Hood, who ran into what looked a really good horse in Jessica Harrington's Pathfork at the Curragh last time.
Kevin Prendergast's Tashqeel, who was a place and a length and a quarter in front of Robin Hood when third to Roderic O'Connor and Master Of Hounds at the Curragh, is the other to consider.
Feature event is the richly endowed carlton.ie/galway Handicap, formerly the GPT, and this is going to take some solving.
The nod falls on Pat Martin's Lucky At Last, a slightly unlucky loser over fences at Limerick four days ago.
The last time he ran on the flat was on this track back in October, beating a pair of very smart sorts in Torphichen and Natural High, and he only went up 3lbs for that.
Apt Manor, Fort Defiance and Maytide appear the three on which to concentrate in the irelandhotels.com Bumper.
The vote goes to Willie Mullins' Apt Manor, absent since chasing home Natural High at this meeting a year ago.
She has been well entered up of late and fitness will hardly be a major concern, coming from this yard!
